The politics of high school

Both Hudson at Kos and Digby have brilliant posts on the same subject. This is from Digby:

Hudson over at Daily Kos has posted a provocative piece about a Republican tactic he calls "fencing." He accurately describes this process of ritual humiliation that's become a standard part of the Republican playbook over the last few years, the purpose of which is to "fence off" voters from feeling comfortable identifying with the Democrats and candidates who are widely seen as socially marginalized objects of derision --- effeminate geeks. I suspect this tactic works particularly well with certain sub-sets of white males whose identity is wrapped up in machismo and high school jock style social hierarchies ---- and the women who buy into those simple heuristic methods of determining leadership capability.(Old Mudcat pretty much came right out and said it. "It's a macho thing.")

Clearly, this tactic has been used to great effect in the last two presidential elections and I think it plays particularly well into the existing stereotypes of the two parties with respect to national security. Of course, one of the reasons this works so well is that it is partially designed to appeal to the media's puerile sense of bitchy good
fun, as well. It would not be nearly as effective if the MSM could resist the immature temptation to side with those they perceive as "real guys" and help them deride Democrats as weirdos and sissies.

Like Vonnegut said, everything is high school. The jocks from high school didn't go away; they went to college and joined fraternities. They're still worshipping the grunting ribald faggotry that they try to pass off as male bonding, and voting for Bush. The Republican party has been masterful at appealing to these people. At saying to this goons and they women who go for dudes like that, the democrats, homosexuals, metrosexuals, intellectuals, academics, lesbians, feminists are out to get you and your lifestyle. Well, both Hudson and Digby have fat better posts--read them. I need to go home. It's friday.

I'd like to watch this play about Silvia Plath--if the status of the old wallet is not a complete flat line--called Edge. Anybody seen it? Let me know how it is.